Sunday, April 13, 2014

Whimsical Appliqué Patterns

Treasure hunting at my favorite thrift store a few days ago resulted in this find, a 1960s copy of Children's Cross-Stitch & Applique Designs book by Butterick. Although the cross-stitch patterns are delightful and would be cute on your current creations, the illustrations are pretty monochromatic and didn't scan well. So today's focus is on the appliqué patterns printed in the book as well as some shopping links for the vintage patterns.

No doubt these patterns can be found elsewhere but today I looked primarily at Etsy since I just love this marketplace! The three shops who are currently carrying these patterns are not affiliated with me in any way, they just happen to be carrying these particular patterns currently.

I found several of this pattern available on Etsy, including this one found at Laughing Duck Vintage.

The appliqué pattern for Butterick 9352

Butterick 2336

Nothing available on Etsy today but I've seen it there before so keep a lookout, it does become available from time to time.

The appliqué pattern for Butterick 2336

Butterick 2195

This pattern is currently available at Vintage Needle Finds on Etsy. You can find it here in size 3.

The appliqué pattern for Butterick 2195

In the back of the booklet were some appliqué instructions and embroidery stitches the looked helpful so I've included them here:

And also this chart on how to correctly measure children when selecting a sewing pattern:

"The size designated in children's patterns is provided to give you an idea of the approximate age of the child for which the pattern was designed. However, all children of the same age are not necessarily the same size. Very often they differ in weight and contour as well as height. Consequently, it is important to select the correct size pattern for the children by measurements, and not by age. For girls, the breast measurement will determine the correct pattern size; for boys, the chest measurement is the guide for the correct pattern size."

Of course you can apply these appliqués to any garment you have, whether it's one that you've made or ready made. And there's no reason to not use a modern pattern if you prefer or if you can't find these vintage patterns.This charming little vintage Butterick pattern book is a treasure trove of whimsical appliqué patterns, I can't wait to get started!